Theodosia Burr Alston

Biography

Theodosia Burr Alston (1783–1813) was a prominent society figure and the daughter of Vice President Aaron Burr, making her one of the most notable women of the early American republic. Known for her intelligence, education, and social prominence, she embodied the refined culture of the planter elite and played a significant role in the social circles of her time.

Theodosia's mysterious disappearance and presumed death in 1813 during a voyage from Georgetown to Wilmington became one of the most poignant tragedies of the era. Though her life was brief, her legacy endured as a symbol of the accomplished women of the early republic, and her burial at Murrells Inlet in South Carolina reflects her family's deep roots in the Lowcountry planter society.